Entertainment and Arts

Multi-award Winning sports journalist Ade Divine has dropped an advise for Cameroon footballer Andre Onana who plays as goalkeeper.

Via his Facebook page Ade Divine, compared André Onana’s situation to what happened to Samuel Eto’o when he was a player at Inter Milan and dishes out this advise for him.

Recalled that a day before Cameroon faced Serbia on November 28th, 2022 in FIFA WORLD CUP 2022 games, Cameroon coach Rigobert Song sanctioned Andre Onana 

Here is a what Ade Divine wrote 👇

 

Whoever is advising this talented player must know the best for him now is to stay silent and focus on playing football!

No matter what may have happened, there is no way he comes out blameless. In a squad, communication and decision-making take a top-down approach, unless the top (coach and his staff) decides to open room for a conversation. In simple terms, players are obliged to take instructions from the coach but the reverse is not true.

 

Players are but building blocks and a coach is hired to place them in the way HE WANTS in order to deliver results. It is his responsibility and he is paid for that. If the results do not come, the coach gets fired and the same players remain at the disposal of a new coach.

 

Every coach has a PHILOSOPHY, and an eagle’s eye to pick out and fill in the gaps. Players are compelled to listen and play the way the coach wants. There can be only one captain to a ship. Team results come before anything. You may be the best striker but the coach thinks you ought to play in defence for an objective to be met.

We saw Samuel Eto’o take one for the Inter team in 2010, playing at left back in the Camp Nou. Just in this World Cup, we have seen Man City midfielder Rodri play as centre back on instruction from coach Luis Enrique. It is about what the man hired to coach thinks is good for his strategy and philosophy. If the results do not come, it is the coach who gets thrown under the bus. The responsibility is his.

Tomorrow when he’s being axed, he cannot be saved because a player says, “Oh! Don’t sack him. It wasn’t his fault. Actually he asked me to do X and I did Y”.

The best players listen to the coaching staff, and in very unique cases, the greatest players like the Messis EARN a voice due to their enormity. We are not there yet.

Ade Divine